Identifying Voice in Present Tense Verbs
The Grammar of Informational Writing

PHOTOGRAPHY
The Photography Curriculum emphasizes several professional areas. Classroom, lecture, and laboratory assignments lead to the development of technical and artistic skills and knowledge students need to qualify for jobs in photography and allied occupations. Students may add filmmaking, television, and reprographics courses. Extensive darkroom work is required, using chemicals, films and papers, and film and paper processing techniques in both black-and-white and color.

Outside and studio assignments are required in all courses. Professional practices and production are emphasized, and students are encouraged to develop artistic appreciation and imagination in their work. The second year emphsizes working with color materials and portfolio preparation.

College catalogs and brochures that describe programs, majors, and courses typically use present tense verbs, as in this example:

The Department of Electronics Engineering Technology offers a specialized option of Communication Electronics Technology. This option is designed to prepare the graduate for employment as a communication technician.

Often, the verbs occur in the active voice, as in Sentence 1. Here, the subject of the sentence, "the Department," performs the action -- it "offers" the program.

In addition, college catalogs use verbs in the passive voice, as in Sentence 2. These sentences may focus on a program, a course, or a major. Thus, the subject of the sentence (in Sentence 2, "This option") is the receiver of the action ("is designed"). The doer of the action, the faculty who designed the program, is not mentioned in the sentence.
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